If you sell handcrafted jewelry, you probably experience times when
your jewelry won't sell despite your best marketing efforts. If you're
dependent on your jewelry as your primary source of income, this can be
a very frustrating and even scary experience. No need to panic! It may
be time to take a fresh look at your jewelry designs.
How to Sell Handcrafted Jewelry When Nothing is Selling
The
first step to correcting this problem is to step back and take an
objective look at what you're offering your customer.Take a brief time
away from your jewelry designs to release any emotional energy that may
be blocking your ability to be objective. Sometimes jewelry designers
are so emotionally involved with their craft that we can't see their
own work objectively. Take a day or two off and do some things that you
really enjoy doing. Take long walks through the woods, take some scenic
bicycle rides, have a leisurely lunch and don't think about selling
handcrafted jewelry. Soon you'll be relaxed and ready to start the
reevaluation process.
Take out some of your pieces of jewelry on
their display cards and place them on a large, solid white cloth. Try
to look at your jewelry designs as if you're seeing them for the first
time. Ask yourself these questions:
1. Do your designs look as
updated and fresh as when you first started selling handcrafted jewelry
or do they look like last year's offerings? Customers love newness! One
difficult aspect of the jewelry business is that it's subject to trends
- which makes people want to always see something new. On the other
hand, it's a positive because people have to keep buying to stay in
style.
2. Can you buy jewelry designs similar to yours at local
department stores and other mass markets. Be honest. Do you TRULY have
something unique to offer your customers? If not, you'll end up trying
to compete on the basis of price when you sell handcrafted jewelry
which isn't a good situation.
3. Is your jewelry display card
consistent with your jewelry and your overall theme. Natural stone
jewelry shouldn't be displayed on a brightly colored card. An
understated, elegant card with soothing, natural colors would be more
appropriate. Selling handcrafted jewelry is all about consistency.